Manipulation of cylinders of dissolved acetylene



June 26, 1962 F. E. QUENARD 3,040,767

MANIPULATION OF CYLINDERS OF DISSOLVED ACETYLENE Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Away m? EeA/vmaA A mr Quay/m0 June 1952 F. E. QUENARD 3,040,767

MANIPULATION OF CYLINDERS OF DISSOLVED ACETYLENE Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 26, 1962 F. E. QUENARD 3,

MANIPULATION OF CYLINDERS OF DISSOLVED ACETYLENE Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Av w June 26, 1962 F. E. QUENARD 3,

MANIPULATION OF CYLINDERS OF DISSOLVED ACETYLENE Filed March 7, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 i E z l W y SIT I E JIEZH [T M ngfinfigja u u United States 3,349,767 Patented June 26, 1962 3,640,767 MANIPULATIQN F CYLINDERS OF DISSOLVED ACEIYLENE Francois Ernest Quenard, 'jhamhery (Savoie), France, assignor to Seeiete Saveisienne i9 Produits Chimiqnes, Aiguebelle, France, a corporation of France Filed Mar. 7, 1%?3, Ser. No. 13,315 Claims prierity, application France lVIar. 20, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. 137--259) It is known that apart from the case of fixed production installations'of acetylene with distribution piping towards the various utilization stations, the supply of acetylene to Workshops is usually effected by means of cylinders of dissolved acetylene. These steel cylinders, designed to withstand the requisite pressures, are provided with a packing of porous material soaked with acetone, in which the acetylene is easily dissolved. In order to facilitate handling, these cylinders usually have a capacity of the order of about thirty liters.

In the case of factories which employ large quantities of acetylene, this capacity is small. It has naturally been suggested to use cylinders of large capacity. But the weight, overall size in addition to considerations of safety, have prevented the practical development of these cylinders.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of cylinders of the usual small capacity type, multiple connections, frequent replacements, etc., it has been contemplated to deliver the cylinders of dissolved acetylene in kinds of baskets in which they are grouped together and arranged with a central feeder to which all the cylinders are coupled.

By this means, a single coupling enables the user to employ the capacity of the combined assembly of cylinders contained in the basket.

While this solution meets the needs of the user, it has proved on the other hand to be costly for the manufacturer of acetylene. In fact, the task of dismantling and reassembling the baskets so as to refill the cylinders devolves upon the manufacturer.

Since this filling operation cannot be carried out on the grouped cylinders without dismantling the basket, it has to be effected individually, cylinder by cylinder. In fact, the quantity of dissolved acetylene is measured by weighing the cylinder after filling. Moreover, in the course of its use, it often occurs that part of the acetone is carried away. The acetone should therefore be checked for weight and topped up if necessary before the acetylene is admitted. These operations can only be carried out individually.

It is on account of these imperative conditions of filling with acetone and acetylene that the dismantling and reassembly of the basket are made necessary and in the case of the baskets so far put forward, they constitute a complicated operation, requiring considerable labor, and are therefore costly.

The present invention has for its object a method which makes it possible to overcome this drawback.

This method is characterized in that the cylinders of dissolved acetylene are assembled in a basket having a detachable bottom and that, for the filling operation, the cylinders are simultaneously released by unhooking the bottom and that, after refilling, the recharged cylinders are simultaneously assembled together again by re-attachment of the bottom which carries said cylinders.

The fixing and removal of the bottom of the basket are carried out by means of a simple device which functions almost instantaneously. This device consists especially of transverse rods with a spontaneous locking means.

The accompanying drawings show, by way of example, one method of practical operation of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view which explains the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates in perspective a basket of cylinders as envisaged in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of said basket.

FIG. 4 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view in profile.

FIG. 6 is a detail view of a part of the basket frame, with its bottom removed.

FIG. 7 is a view of the removable bottom.

FIG. 8 is a view in transverse cross-section of the cou pling between the basket and its bottom.

FIG. 9 illustrates the detail of the assembly rod.

FIGS. 10 and 11 relate to an alternative form of assembly.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cylinders 11 of dissolved acetylene are grouped together in a basket 12, the bottom 13 of which is detachable. The coupling of the bottom 13 to the basket is elfected by means of rods or locking pins which disengage rapidly and almost instantaneously as will be described below.

It can be seen that the handling and transport of the cylinders 11, whether empty or filled, can easily be effected when the cylinders are grouped together, by means of the usual types of lifting apparatus. For the filling of the cylinders, the basket 12 is placed on a platform 14. The bottom 13 is detached together with the cylinders 11; the empty basket frame is removed. The cylinders are thus available for being admitted individually to the station 15 to be topped up with acetone, then to the sta tion 16 to be filled with acetylene.

When once they have been filled up, the full cylinders are re-grouped on a bottom 13, which is then covered by the basket 12, following which both bottom and basket are assembled together and the complete unit is dispatched to the user.

A form of construction of a basket is illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5. This basket is intended to receive six cylinders of acetylene, but it is understood that it could carry a smaller or greater number. This basket consists of the detachable bottom 13, which is fastened by means of rods or link-bars 17 to the basket proper. This latter is constituted by a set of vertical members 18 coupled to each other at the upper portion by means of sheet-members 19 forming longitudinal girders. These sheet-members 19 have preferably a triangular shape and are provided with a shaft 20 for the purpose of lifting operations.

The vertical members 18 are provided at their bases with gussets 21, which are assembled together by means of longitudinal members 22. Spaces designed to receive the cylinders 11 are thus formed between the upright members 18. Retaining and centering wedges 23 are provided in the angles of the spaces between the upright members. Holes 24 and 25 are formed at the level of each upright member, for the insertion of the lockingrods 17. A central member 26 can be provided with a hole 27 for the locking-rod.

The bottom 13 (FIG. 7) is of thin sheet metal and is provided at 28 with centering and retaining members for the cylinders 11. The member 28 is provided with a hole 30 for the locking-rod 17. A member 31 with a hole 32 is provided opposite said member 28.

The assembly of the basket on the bottom 13 is illustrated in FIG. 8. The filled cylinders are placed on the bottom 13 as shown by a chain-dotted line in FIG. 7 and come into abutment against the members 28. The basket proper is then placed on the bottom as thus fitted, while the member 43 serves for centering.

When the longitudinal members 22 come into contact with the bottom 13, this latter is rigidly fixed to the basket 12 by means of the rods 17. Each of these rods is provided with a head 33. At the opposite extremity, the

rod is split so as to form a stirrup 34, in which the locking-member 35 is pivotally mounted. As illustrated in FIG. 9, an elongated slot 36 is formed in this latter and is engaged on a shaft 37 which passes through the stirrup 34. This arrangement provides instantaneous locking or unlocking. Any other locking device of the ratchet type or the like can be employed.

The holes 24, 25, 27 on the one hand and 30, 32 on the other hand, for the passage of the locking-rods 17, can usefully be provided with a certain play. This play makes it possible to take up at once, without additional devices, the slight differences which may exist between the cylinders 11.

In other words, by virtue of the set of holes which correspond to each other in the bottom 13 and in the basket frame, the fitting of the cylinders inside the basket is easily effected without requiring the need for cylinders specially adapted to said basket. This feature is one of the characteristic advantages of the present invention.

In order to complete the stability of the basket unit when filled with cylinders, plates provided with a central orifice 39 are provided at 38 (FIGS. 3 and 4) for the passage of the necks of the cylinders 11.

When once the cylinders 11 are in position, each head is coupled by means of a suitable flexible pipe 40 (FIG. 3) to a conduit 41 placed between the upper longitudinal girders 19. This conduit leads to a coupling or cock 42 to which the supply piping of the utilization devices can be connected.

Guide-rods 43, the upper extremity of which are thinned down, can be provided on the bottom 13 so as to engage in corresponding orifices in the frame of the basket, thus providing a guide for the operation of assembly of the bottom 13 with the said frame.

The basket for cylinders of acetylene as hcreinbefore described lends itself to an additional number of grouped cylinders by means of simple juxtaposition. As can be seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, two baskets of the type described above with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 can be placed side by side. These baskets of six cylinders are coupled together by means of transverse plates 44, 45, so as to form a single basket of ten cylinders. It is of course understood that as many individual baskets as may be required can be assembled together in this manner.

What we claim is:

upper longitudinal member for coupling all containers together, and means connected to said upper longitudinal member for lifting said basket.

2. A basket for the manipulation of cylinders of dissolved acetylene having a metallic frame comprising a plurality of housings for the cylinders arranged in straight lines, a detachable bottom and means for the attachment of said frame to said bottom, said frame having an upper longitudinal girder provided with a central feeder for individually coupling to the cylinders, transverse upright members between the successive housings for the cylinders connected to said upper longitudinal girder, and lower longitudinal members connected to said transverse upright members each of said housings comprising a centering plate having holes for the passage of the cylinders between said upright members and said lower longitudinal members, said transverse upright members and said lower longitudinal members containing holes at their lower portions, said bottom being provided with upright plates having holes arranged in transverse alignment, said means for attachment of the frame to the bottom consisting of rods inserted in said holes of said plates and in said holes of said upright members. a

3. A basket as claimed in claim 2, in which the rods which attach the bottom to the frame are provided at their extremity with a retractable safety lug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,863,782 Young June 21, 1932 2,003,135 Bowman May 28, 1935 2,256,957 Traynor Sept. 23, 1941 2,461,198 Chiger Feb. 8, 1949 2,702,641 Arthur Feb. 22, 1955 

